UK and France agree 45 extra police for Channel beaches as smugglers turn to mega-dinghies
Andy Burnham and Emmanuel Macron announced 45 more French officers to stop small boat launches, while a BBC investigation reveals gangs are adapting with larger boats.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham hosted French President Emmanuel Macron in Downing Street today for their first bilateral meeting since the UK general election. The leaders focused on cooperation to stop small boat crossings in the English Channel, announcing a new surge team of 45 French officers to be deployed on western beaches. The move triples French resources in the area, bringing the total number of French officers supporting joint efforts to 1,050.
The announcement comes as crossing numbers have fallen sharply this year. Government figures show a 43% drop compared to the same period in 2024, with 48,000 attempts prevented since the July election. Home Office data puts crossings at their lowest level since 2021. However, the nature of the crossings is changing. Smugglers are now using so-called mega-dinghies capable of carrying more than 200 people. One such boat carrying 230 migrants arrived last month.
A BBC investigation on the coast of northern France found that smuggling gangs are running low on smaller boats, forcing rival factions to work together. The report detailed a "taxi boat" operation that made five separate collections over three hours, eventually taking 82 people to the UK. Migrants pay 1,500 to 2,000 euros each. The BBC team was attacked by a gang member after filming at a camp near Dunkirk.
During the meeting, Burnham and Macron also discussed Ukraine, trade issues, and the Middle East. Macron's visit was partly for the loan of the Bayeux Tapestry, now on display in London, which both leaders described as a symbol of cooperation. Downing Street said the leaders agreed to scale up success across Europe to deter illegal migration.
The government's approach has drawn criticism. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called the announcement a joke and questioned French willingness to intervene. Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice said the measures would not solve the problem, reiterating his party's policy of "rescue and return". The government insists the relationship with France is working and that the fall in crossings shows the strategy is having an effect.
In a separate but related development, up to 80 people are feared dead after a migrant boat adrift near the Canary Islands was found by Spanish rescue teams. 44 survivors were rescued, and five bodies recovered. The boat had left Gambia weeks ago. The incident adds to growing pressure on European governments over migration, following the mass border rush in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in July, when 70,000 people crossed from Morocco.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC News | BBC One | GB News | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| France has pledged to deploy 45 additional police officers to patrol beaches. | ||||||
| Overall Channel crossing numbers are down 43% compared to last year. | · | |||||
| A boat carrying 230 people was used to cross the Channel. | · | · | · | |||
| Smuggling gangs are sharing boats because of a shortage of boats. | · | · | · | |||
| Almost 17,000 migrants have crossed the Channel this year. | · | · | · | · | ||
| Mega dinghies now carry an average of 68 people, up from 62 last year. | · | · | · | · | ||
| Spanish prosecutors reported that at least 72,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into the enclave in July. | · | · | · | · | ||
| 48,000 attempts to cross the Channel have been prevented since the July 2024 election. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| A taxi boat collected 82 people over three hours, all of whom reached the UK. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| At about 6pm, the Coast Guard received a distress call about a vessel south-west of Eddystone Lighthouse, and RNLI lifeboats and a helicopter were sent to investigate. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Migrants pay around 2,000 euros each to people smugglers. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Opposition parties accused the Spanish Prime Minister of neglecting Ceuta and failing to secure its border. | · | · | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC ONE West provided a comprehensive narrative, combining the political announcement with on-the-ground reporting from James Waterhouse in northern France. It emphasised the evolving tactics of smuggling gangs and included dramatic footage of a taxi boat operation. The channel also reported on the attack on its reporting team, adding a personal angle to the story.
- “British and French officials have put a significant drop in those making it across, down to stronger policing and better cooperation.”
- “But their war on small boat crossings is merely entering a new phase.”
- “The people smugglers are having to change tactics.”
GB News gave very limited coverage to the UK-France announcement, and only in a dismissive tone. The main focus of its transcripts on that day was the migrant crisis in Ceuta, Spain, where hundreds of sexual assaults were reported, and the Reform UK donation scandal. When it did mention the 45 officers, it was as a punchline: "45 new police officers to patrol the beaches. That'll do it, lads." The channel's editorial line was heavily critical of all current policies and linked the Channel issue to a broader narrative of uncontrolled immigration.
- “And it turns out that the French, the French have promised, you ready for this? 45 new police officers to patrol the beaches. That'll do it, lads.”
- “Well, Spain's had enough, hasn't it? They are out en masse on the streets across several different Spanish cities this evening to complain about the government's handling of the migrant crisis.”
Sky News provided detailed coverage of the Burnham-Macron meeting, the announcement of 45 extra officers, and the broader context of falling crossing numbers. It included soundbites from Home Office Minister Anna Turley and Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice, presenting both government and opposition views. The tone was factual and analytical, with a focus on the operational challenges of the mega-dinghies and the need for continued cooperation.
- “The prime minister has been clear we must be relentless on this and we want to keep driving those numbers down, keep undertaking that activity.”
- “We've got the only policy that will stop the boats and we shouldn't be spending hundreds and hundreds of millions of pounds of hard-earned British taxpayers' cash to the French who are not doing the job properly.”
BBC News presented a balanced and detailed account, integrating the political announcement, the Bayeux Tapestry context, and the BBC's own investigative reporting from northern France. It included expert analysis from Rob Laurie, a former soldier turned aid worker, who explained the impact of German-led boat seizures. The channel also connected the UK story to the wider European migration debate, mentioning border checks in the EU and the Ceuta crisis in Spain.
- “It shows what collaboration can achieve, just as we are also showing on Ukraine, on small boats, and also on strengthening the UK-EU relationship.”
- “The war on small boat crossings is merely entering a new phase.”
Channel 5 News provided a concise, straightforward report on the meeting and the announcement. It focused on the numbers: crossings down 46% in the last year, and the average number of people per boat rising from 62 to 68. It included a brief mention of the one-in-one-out returns deal with France, noting that it was due to run until the end of October with no word on extension. The tone was neutral and informative.
- “When it comes to small boats, the UK-France relationship has been a mix of co-operation and frustration.”
- “Warm words, but when it comes to action, Emmanuel Macron promised 45 more French officers on beaches where smugglers are launching so-called mega-dinghies.”
ITV News covered the story with a focus on the political choreography and the ongoing challenge of smuggling. It included the friendly atmosphere between Burnham and Macron, and featured criticism from Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who said it was Labour's luck that crossings had fallen and reiterated her party's policy to leave the European Convention on Human Rights. ITV also linked to the broader tragedy off the Canary Islands, where up to 80 migrants are feared dead, providing a humanitarian counterpoint to the UK political story.
- “It shows what collaboration can achieve just as we are also showing on Ukraine, on small boats, and also on strengthening the UK-EU relationship.”
- “One of the things that everybody is talking about is the Convention on Human Rights. It is our policy to leave it.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.